


Is It Fog or Cigerette Smoke? I Can't Fucking Tell.

by Humble_Tortoise (Caskets_Here)



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Punk, Everything is Punk and Nothing Hurts, Footballer! Arthur, Gwen's a hopeless romantic, M/M, Merlin is awesome, Merlin smokes, Merlin still has magic, Punk! Merlin, and dragons, and tatoos of dragons, there are tattoos
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-06
Updated: 2016-09-20
Packaged: 2018-01-23 20:08:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1577912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caskets_Here/pseuds/Humble_Tortoise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin tries to work up the nerve to call Arthur. Gwen is very observant. Will is Will.<br/>Then other things happen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Conversation

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Your Cigarette Traces a Ladder](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1298323) by [Wreck](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wreck/pseuds/Wreck). 



> WOW! Okay so this is my first Merthur fic! *waves at the Merlin Fandom* 
> 
> Okay so hello! 
> 
> This is a little thing that popped into my head after reading 'Your Cigarette Traces a Ladder' by Wreck. because Punk!Merlin is my absolutely favorite thing besides hugs and pizza and music.  
> I was gonna make it a oneshot, but my brain likes to complicate things so there's gonna be like two more chapters or whatever.  
> Not Beta'd so I am responsible for any horrid mistakes(if you see one, do not hesitate to tell me.) Anyway, enjoy or whatever
> 
> Title is from Actually 'We're Just Friends' by Typcide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa! CHAPTER ONE
> 
> Okay, so this is like an unofficial sequel to Your Cigarette Traces a Ladder, So You should probably read that first! Go on! My fic'll still be waiting for you when you finish! Are you done? Awesome. /Now/ here's my little interpretation of the aftermath

“ He’s a fuckin’ _jock_? You're fucking with me, right ?”

“ Calm down, Will. I think it’s adorable.” Came a fond voice.

" Please tell me you're messing with me." Will replied exasperated

Merlin rolled his eyes and ignoring Will entirely, ” I fail to see the adorable part of snogging in a dark alley, Gwen.”

Merlin had woken up that morning, slightly hungover and mildly anxious. It had been two days since the whole Arthur ordeal. Merlin would’ve called the day after he’d met him, but he’d talked himself out of it , reasoning it would've come of as little clingy and kind of desperate. That was absolutely the reason he hadn’t called. His silence had nothing to do with Merlin turning green at the thought of holding an over-the-phone conversation. It wasn’t Arthur's fault, honestly, usually Merlin wouldn't have really made such a big fuss. Regardless, he still frowned and shied away from the subject whenever it arose. at the moment however, Gwen wasn’t letting it off that easy and Will- well Will was less focused on why Merlin hadn’t called him and more on the fact that he was apparently some stereo-type loud, obnoxious footballer.( According to William anyway, but what did he know, Arthur seemed genuinely decent).

Gwen audibly rolled her eyes,” I know, but the whole thing just sounds so mysterious. Where’s your sense of hopeless romance?”

“ Gwen, I lost my sense of hopeless romance the night I lost my virginity.” Merlin chuckled," Which, mind you, also happened at The 'Sun" He said in afterthought

“ I’m still stuck on the ‘jock’ bit of this situation.” Will reminded dryly.

“ Oh piss off. He seemed nice enough.” She replied defensively.

“ Hmm. Gorgeous too.” Merlin muttered.

“ What? Did his Lamborghini make you swoon?” William was probably narrowing his eyes over the phone at that particular moment.

“ He doesn't even drive a Lamborghini.” Guinevere informed him.

“ How would you know?” Will challenged.

“ I’ve… seen him around campus... a few times. But anyway getting back to the point. Merlin,” She said groping for his attention.

“ Yesh?” He replied, his face smushed into three of many unnecessary pillows on his bed. Gwaine, his flatmate, was thankfully still asleep. Not that he had anything against him. Gwaine was a really great guy, but he could be a tad loud and Merlin still had a slight throbbing headache tap-dancing somewhere in the front and center of his brain.

“ Are you going to call him?” She asked expectantly, in a probably-has-her-eyebrows-raised sort of tone. Which meant it was less of a question and more of an if-you-don’t-call-him-i’m not-baking-for-you-anymore kind of statement. Shit.

Merlin pouted and sighed, reaching blindly for the pack of cigarettes on his nightstand,” Yeah, i guess so.” He shrugged although Gwen and Will obviously couldn't see the gesture.

Gwen squealed.

Will sighed and more than likely rolling eyes exasperatedly  at his phone.

“Great! Call him later, around six or so? He hasn’t got practice today so he’ll probably be in his dorm studying.”

“ Once again: how do you know these things?” Will asked dryly .

“ I’ll have you know that I’m a very observant person, William.” She replied mock-offended.

Will snorted.

Merlin grinned.

They all hung up about a minute or so later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay hello, hope you liked it.  
> I'm kinda just gonna bullshit my way through the next few parts of this, I've got the main gist of what i wanna do, but barely any details, so if you've got any suggestions, feel free to let me know!
> 
> this is my Tumblr. so follow me for things and stuff. http://fuck-my-life-i-want-food.tumblr.com/
> 
> *hugs* okay bye bye for now.
> 
> ps: Kudos and the like would be lovely!


	2. The Actual Conversation...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I think the chapter title sums it up quite well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look I didn't abandon my fic! It just took me a while.

Okay.

 

So yes. Merlin said he was going to call Arthur right after he got off the phone with Gwen and Will. and. No! He hadn’t called him yet, But in his defense! Gwaine had walked into their cozy (read: cramped and packed of pumpkins and pillows for some reason) living room looking like someone he trusted had just kicked a puppy in the face (and  _ he _ was the puppy in question). Merlin, being the good friend that he was, spent the better portion of the next  _ seven hours _ trying to cheer turn his flatmate’s frown upside down. Gwaine eventually fell asleep on their couch. Merlin, unsurprisingly, hadn’t had the heart to tell him he’d had a call to make.

 

By the time Merlin had pried Gwaine’s multiple muscular,  _ heavy  _ limbs off his thigh, stood up, stretched and checked the time on his phone, It was nearly ten. Which, honestly, wasn’t that late for  _ him.  _ He wasn’t quite sure what sorts of sleeping patterns athletes kept (he made a mental note to ask Gwen later), but he figured it usually didn’t involve perpetual insomnia or cramming homework in Red Bull fueled all nighters before falling into 45 minute mini-comas before deadlines and afternoon Monday classes Wow, he was never doing  _ that _ again). They  _ did _ have practice most days. 

 

Which meant, Arthur was probably asleep. Which meant he probably wouldn’t pick up. 

Merlin couldn’t decide whether he was incredibly disappointed or incredibly,  **_INCREDIBLY_ ** relieved, but he knew he was somewhere on that general spectrum. 

 

He sauntered lazily into his room, materializing a small, greenish globe of light, barely the size of one of his fists and tossed it back and forth between his slender hands. Sometime over the short journey from the large, overstuffed lump they called a couch and his room door, Merlin decided, that: Yes, he was going to call Arthur right that moment. And If he didn’t pick up, he’d just leave a message. Which, honestly he was  _ kind of  _ hoping would be the case; he hated phone conversations. If Arthur actually picked up well… Merlin was just going to have to chin up and talk to him. 

 

Yeah, he totally had this. 

 

He fished his cracked, decrepit phone from his back pocket and sifted through his contacts. The pad of his thumb hovered over Arthur’s name for a moment (read: three minutes. Yes, minutes.  _ Yes _ , that long.) bits of the ball of light dispersing before completely vanishing the second Merlin pressed on Arthur's name.

 

On the first ring, Merlin felt something deep in his chest tighten.

 

_ don’t pick up. don’t pick up. don’t pick up _

 

On the second ring, his hands clenched into something like a fist, but tighter. Like a big, anxiety-inducing boa constrictor. Yeah. 

 

_ don’t pick up. don’t pick up _

 

On the third ring, he sighed. His hands shook.

 

On the fourth ring, the knot in his chest loosened and  he learned to breath again, but his hands had started shaking-when had that happened? This was stupid.-everything was stupid. Literally _ everything that had led to this moment in his life was so so so very stuuuuppppiiiiiiiidddd. Of course Arthur wasn’t going to answer. Have you  _ seen _ Arthur? Of course he wouldn’t pick u- _

 

“ Hellooo?” Greeted a very pleasant voice drenched in an exhausted posh drawl.

 

_ Shit. _

 

“ Er-Hi! Hi? Hi... uh, It’s Merlin? I’m...not sure if y--”

 

“ Yes! Hey! Hello!” Arthur cut him off, sounded a lot less tired than he had three seconds previous. 

 

“ Hi.. I, uh, actually hoping-er _wasn’t expecting_ you to answer… But, anyway. Hi, I guess?” He winced “ H-how are… you…?” _stupid._

 

Merlin facepalmed. 

 

Arthur’s snort could be heard loud and clear on the other end. He replied,” I’m okay, yeah. How are you?”

 

Merlin felt a small smile tugging at his lips,” I’m okay, yeah,” He said in a high, whiny slurred impossibly proper imitation of Arthur’s voice. 

 

A small bubbling laugh sounded from the receiver,” I do  _ not  _ sound like that!” 

 

” You really do, though.” Merlin continued his impression-albeit giggling; His voice impossibly higher.

“Fight me, Nerd.”

 

“You are an extremely stubborn person.”

 

“ I prefer the term  _ persistent,  _ and I like to think it’s part of my charm.”

 

” Ha. you would, wouldn't you?” Merlin rolled his eyes.

 

“ What’s that’s supposed to mean?” He said, mocking offense.

 

Merlin snorted,” Nothing,  _ your highness _ .”

 

A very small and awkward silence ensued.

 

“ Ya know, I actually, “ Arthur cleared his throat,” I didn't think you’d call me.”

 

Merlin furrowed his eyebrows.

 

“ Well, it  _ has  _ been like two days.” Arthur replied to the silence” and a strapping young gentleman like yourself could’ve easily foun-”

 

“ Oh please, I’m not  _ that _ big of a slut.”

 

There was a pointed silence on Arthur’s end.

 

Merlin smirked,” Fair point. Well made. But really? Of course I’d call b-”

 

“ Again- it’s been  _ two days _ …” 

 

“ Right… about that…” 

  
  


So Merlin attempted to explain that he hadn’t called Arthur sooner because he was. uhm.. well:  _ actually I guess i kind of don’t have decent excuse . _

 

Arthur had sighed, unnecessarily dramatic like the Drama Queen **™** he was. Than he’d pointedly replied something about how he could _never possibly_ forgive Merlin unless, of course, he agreed to go out with him for tea that Friday. To which Merlin, since he’s _such_ _a_ _good_ _person_ , agreed to. 

  
Immediately following the end of that particular conversation, Merlin found himself promptly jumping around his apartment and accidentally busting the kitchen pipes.  _ Yeaaaaaah,  _ Magic was weird. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I... have nothing to say. I'm gonna hang my head in shame and hope you enjoyed this. And yes. There will be another update soon! Love you all. thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> ps: Kudos and the lot are appreciated!


End file.
